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Commission backs moving outdoor-display appeals from council to special magistrate
Summary
Planning staff told the commission Ordinance 19-26 would let the director approve many outdoor-display permits and route exceptional appeals to a special magistrate rather than City Council; the commission recommended approval on a 7-1 vote.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on April 1 recommended approval of Ordinance 19-26, which clarifies who decides permits for outdoor displays of merchandise and shifts certain appeal decisions from City Council to a special magistrate.
"Currently, a permit for an outdoor display of merchandise can be granted by our director," Patrick White, principal planner in Development Services, told the commission. He said the draft updates decision tables and temporary-permit references so that cases beyond the director's authority would be decided by a pool of special magistrates rather than being placed on council dockets.
White said staff's objective is to reduce council workload for administrative matters. He described a pool of three magistrates with judicial backgrounds who would make those decisions when an applicant requests review beyond the director's authority.
Following brief questions about magistrate qualifications, the commission voted to recommend the ordinance, with the clerk recording 7 ayes and 1 nay. Commissioner Schwartz cast the lone no vote.
The commission's recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for formal action.
